The mayor of a small Missouri town has resigned and residents are calling for the shutdown of the police department after a police officer shot and killed a deaf and blind dog, outraging residents.
The owner of the 13-pound Shih Tzu mix is suing the city of Sturgeon for $1 million following horrifying body camera footage that captured the moment Officer Myron Woodson shot and killed 5-year-old Teddy on May 19. Report from The Washington Post.
Former Mayor Kevin Abrahamson reportedly resigned amid the controversy without publicly giving reasons.
The video is Body camera footage The photo, obtained by the Daily Mail, begins with a picture of an innocent, fluffy white teddy bear roaming a field.
Woodson holds a metal fishing rod and says, “Come on, baby,” encouraging Teddy to put his head into the lasso end of the rod.
Later in the video, Teddy is seen playing with a rope around a tree when Woodson approaches the confused dog and fires two shots.
“I had to get rid of it,” Woodson told his neighbor afterward.
The neighbor told Woodson he was concerned about firing the gun because a child was nearby, but body camera footage shows Woodson using his hand to dispel the mother’s fears.
Hunter arrived shortly after and confronted Woodson about shooting the dog. Reported by the Daily Mail.
Woodson said she had no idea the helpless puppy was blind.
“So you’re trying to put him out of his misery?” Hunter asked Woodson.
“What am I supposed to do?” Woodson responded, noting that Sturgeon has no animal control authority.
“I don’t like shooting dogs,” the officer added.
Woodson was initially called to the area to help Teddy, who was lost because he was blind.
The day after the shooting, the city released a statement on Facebook saying Woodson believed Teddy had rabies and was afraid he would be bitten.
The city’s statement also said Woodson, not knowing that Teddy was blind, believed the dog’s lack of ID tags contributed to his determination that the dog was “sick” and “abandoned” and needed to be euthanized.
“This situation should never have happened. It was handled completely the wrong way,” said Abbie Harnish, Teddy’s other owner. The Washington Post.
Dozens of Sturgeon residents hijacked a regular city meeting on Tuesday to show their support for Teddy, the paper reported.
In the normally police-friendly town, there have been calls for the two-man police team to be disbanded following the brutal murder of a tiny, disabled puppy.
“I think the police department should be closed until the whole issue is resolved,” one man told the paper.
Woodson has been placed on paid administrative leave while the city investigates.
Hunter’s lawsuit against Woodson and the city alleges that his 14th Amendment rights were violated.
Daniel Corde, one of the lawyers filing the lawsuit, said he believes Woodson’s actions constitute felony animal cruelty and is urging prosecutors to bring charges.
Teddy’s other owner, Abbie Harnish, is heartbroken and wants change.
“At the end of the day, I can’t get my dog back, but something needs to change and be addressed by both the city and the officers,” Harnish said.
